The Blackinnon Halloween Collection
by LoveNeverDies78
Summary: This is a collection of 31 oneshot Blackinnon fics written for the Harry Potter Halloween Collection Challenge. They won't all necessarily be Halloween related, but some of them will. Enjoy!
1. Tricks For Treats

**A/N:** This is the first in a 31 story collection for the Harry Potter Halloween Collection Competition. The collection will be exclusively about Sirius and Marlene, both as friends and as a couple. I will indicate if any new additions are involved in any other challenges, as well as which prompt I used for the Halloween challenge.

* * *

 **Halloween Challenge Prompts Used:** (food/drink) sweets/candy & (plot theme) trick or treating

 **The Restricted Collection Challenge:** prompt used: no more, or less, than one set of brackets (parentheses)

* * *

"Are you sure this is going to work?" Marlene held a small vial of potion in her fingers, looking quite skeptical.

"Of course it'll work. Trust me." Sirius gave her his most charming smile. He had a matching vial clutched in his own hand.

"When you give me that look and say 'trust me,' it always means I shouldn't. But yet again, I will trust you against my better judgement, only because you're cute." She looked at the potion uncertainly. "An aging potion that makes us _younger?_ Does it wear off or will we be stuck looking like ten year olds forever?"

"We only have four hours before we start aging up again. Did you get a costume?"

"Absolutely." She indicated a bag at her feet. "Well, let's get this over with."

They went to separate rooms of their house to drink the potion and change into their costumes. Marlene drank the potion quickly. It tasted rather good, a bit sweet but not bad. She hoped this meant that the transformation would be easy as well. She started to feel tingly after a few seconds and everything looked taller than her as she shrank.

She looked down at herself in amazement. Her hands were smaller, she could slip out of her shoes quite easily as they were several sizes too big, and her clothes hung off her very loosely. "Wow." She gasped at the sound of her own voice. It sounded sort of like her, but younger. It had worked.

She quickly changed into her costume and ran back out to the living room, where Sirius was waiting. At least, she assumed it was him. It looked sort of like him. He had the same charming smile, the same dark hair and grey eyes, but like her, he was much younger.

"Nice costume," he said as she entered the room. "Really creative."

"What? I couldn't very well go in my regular clothes and say I was a witch, now could I?" She'd used her old school robes and cloak without the Gryffindor colors, and she'd bought the Muggle version of a witch's hat and a toy broom. Her old cauldron completed the outfit, to be used as a treat container.

"You could've been anything the Muggles could dream up. A zombie, a fairy, even a mummy. But a witch?"

"Oh, well, you've got a lot of room to talk. I'm surprised you didn't just transform and get it over with." She shook her head as she looked over his black dog costume, complete with shaggy tail and ears.

He laughed. "Ok, ok, so we both really went all out. Arguing isn't going to get us loads of candy though. Come on."

As they lived in London, their options were nearly limitless for trick or treating. Nearly every house in their neighborhood was handing out sweets to children in all variety of costumes. Marlene wasn't the only witch (although some had painted their faces green; Sirius wondered aloud if Muggles thought real witches went around looking as if they were about to be sick all the time), and there were many different animals, dogs and cats being the most popular. There were fairies and zombies, as Sirius had mentioned, as well as vampires, werewolves, and an assortment of Muggle occupations, like firemen and doctors.

They walked their own neighborhood and the next, their treat containers getting heavier at each stop. They walked around for about three hours before heading back. They made it home with only fifteen minutes to spare before the potion wore off.

As soon as they'd changed back into their normal selves, they dumped all of their sweets into one big pile on the kitchen table and began going through it. A wide assortment of Muggle chocolates, hard candies, toffees, licorice, and lollipops made up the mound of sweets that was nearly covering the entire surface of the table. They tried a bit of everything, somewhat disappointed that Muggle sweets weren't as interesting as magical ones, but happy nonetheless with all the free goodies.

"You know," Marlene said after they'd had their fill, "we could've just went out and bought a bunch of sweets. It would've been easier."

Sirius smiled mischievously. "But it wouldn't have been quite so much fun, love."

She admitted to herself that he was right.


	2. Nightmare

**A/N:**

 **Halloween Challenge Prompts:** (object) mask & (feeling) terrified

 **Restricted Collection Prompt:** no crying in a hurt/comfort fic

* * *

Masks. Masks all around her. They stared at her with black, lifeless eyes. They were the most frightening things she'd ever seen, for these were the masks of Death Eaters.

She twirled around, but found no escape from this circle of death. She wasn't even sure where she was. Everything else around her was black. All she could see were those horrible masks.

And then he appeared. He wasn't wearing a mask, but a hood shadowed his face. She knew it was the Dark Lord all the same. He was whispering her name. "Marlene. Marlene. Come, Marlene, and join us. Join us and you will know power beyond your wildest dreams." He reached towards her and she saw that he was pointing a wand at her. "Join us or suffer."

His wand, she suddenly realized, wasn't pointed at her. It was pointed somewhere slightly off to her right. Turning, she found that the Death Eaters had disappeared. Instead she saw Sirius on his knees, hands bound behind his back. He seemed unable to speak. He only stared at her, an expression of terror on his face.

"Sirius...no..." She wanted to do something, stop this, but she couldn't move. She could only look into Sirius's eyes, grey and filled with fear. She heard the Death Eaters whispering her name, urging her to join them. She shut her eyes, willing it all to go away, but she could still see those masks.

She felt arms around her. Someone had grabbed her and was holding her tightly. She fought back, trying to push them away. She was going to die, Sirius was going to die, it was all over...

"Marlene! Wake up, Marlene!"

Her eyes shot open and she found grey eyes staring back at her. Grey eyes, full of concern, not fear. "Sirius?" He was holding her. He was alive. He was here with her. She looked around. She was home, sitting in his arms, in bed. Bright moonlight illuminated the room. Had it all just been a bad dream? It had felt so real...

"It's alright, darling," he said. He brushed a few strands of her light brown hair out of her face. "You were dreaming. It's over now."

"There were Death Eaters." She spoke quickly, her heart still racing. "Death Eaters in masks all around me, I couldn't get away. And then -" She stopped. Remembering brought a fresh wave of fear. She took a deep, shaky breath before continuing. "You-Know-Who was there. He kept urging me to join him or...or he'd kill you. You were there, they had you, he was going to kill you. They were all whispering my name. It felt so real. He was going to kill you, Sirius, he was going to kill you..." She buried her head in his chest, trying to block out the memory of that terrible dream.

Sirius rubbed her back soothingly. "Shh, it's alright, I'm here. I'm safe, and so are you." She focused on the feel of him, the smell of him, the sound of his voice. Anything to calm herself. Anything to keep from breaking down over something that wasn't real.

He held her for quite some time, occasionally whispering words of comfort, before she looked up at him again. "I'm sorry. I woke you up in the middle of the night because of a silly nightmare," she said when he looked at her in confusion.

"Don't apologize," he said. "It's not silly. I'm your husband. I'm supposed to protect you from everything, nightmares included." He smiled. "Now, why don't you try sleeping again, hm?"

She kissed him before settling in against her pillows once more. "The man of my dreams is keeping my nightmares away. I suppose I can rest easy now."

And she did.


	3. Jack-O-Lanterns

**A/N:** Written for two challenges.

 **Halloween Challenge Prompts:** (object) jack-o-lantern & (dialogue) "Welcometo slavery."/"No thanks. I already have a wife."

 **Restricted Collection Prompt:** no slash/femme slash pairings

* * *

"Maybe we should go out there and help them." Marlene finished hanging a garland of red and orange leaves around the edge of the table in the Potters' kitchen. She took out her wand and turned a few of the leaves yellow, smiling at the finished product.

"No, I think it's good for them to do something without magic for a change." Lily moved aside the curtain and peered out the window. Sirius and James were hard at work in the backyard, carving a dozen or so pumpkins into jack-o-lanterns. They had been at it for an hour, and it looked like they'd only finished three or four of the pumpkins.

She sighed. "Although, at this rate, they won't have them all done until Halloween night. Come on, let's go check on them." The two women headed out the back door, stepping around pumpkins as they neared their husbands.

"About time you two decided to help," Sirius grumbled, throwing down his carving knife. "Why in the world did you want us to do this the Muggle way, Lils? It's way too hard!"

"I wanted you to really get into the spirit of Halloween," Lily said, laughing. "This was how we carved our pumpkins when I was a girl. Besides, I already cleaned them out _and_ drew faces on them, all you have to do is follow the lines! I don't know what you have to complain about."

"This is hard work! You'd better be paying us for this!" James stabbed his pumpkin in frustration.

"Not a chance," Lily said. "Welcome to slavery."

"No thanks," Sirius said. "I already have a wife." He ducked when Marlene tried to hit him. "Just joking, dearest. Love you."

"Would you like to keep him for the night?" Marlene asked Lily, glaring at her husband while trying not to smile. "He's housebroken, at least."

"And have to listen to him and James causing a ruckus all night? No thanks." Lily tapped Sirius's knife with her shoe. "Back to work, Padfoot. These pumpkins won't carve themselves."

With that, she and Marlene walked back to the house, laughing as they heard the boys grumbling behind them.


	4. Just to See You Smile

**A/N:** Based on something from HBP. When Harry was copying down Filch's records for his detention, he came across one that stated the James and Sirius had received detention for hexing Bertram Aubrey, making his head twice its normal size. I thought this was a convenient way to give that a backstory. Enjoy!

* * *

 **Harry Potter Halloween Collection Prompts:** (restriction) exactly 666 words long; (word) revolting

* * *

As soon as Sirius walked through the portrait hole with James, he knew something was wrong. Everything in the common room appeared normal; students were grouped together as usual, talking or studying, just like every other day, and bright sunlight spilled through the windows.

"Pads, look." James pointed to a corner of the common room. "Wonder what's got her so upset?"

Lily and Marlene sat together on the floor in that corner, Lily's arms around Marlene, Marlene's head buried in the other girl's shoulder. Sirius could hear Marlene sobbing. He brushed past James to investigate, his fists clenching. It made him angry to think that something had upset her so much as to make her cry like that. Whatever it was, he wanted to fix it.

Sirius didn't know Marlene that well, mostly because she was Lily's best friend and Lily tended to avoid James and his friends like they had a bad case of dragon pox. She wasn't hanging around that slimy git Snivellus anymore at least, but she still wanted nothing to do with James. Sirius had been watching Marlene since their first year and had recently developed a crush on her. James had been teasing him mercilessly about it, but Remus and Peter were having the most fun, pointing out the fact that James and Sirius were apparently so inseparable that they even fell for two girls who were just as attached to each other.

"What's wrong?" Sirius asked when he'd joined the two girls. He knelt down next to Marlene, placing a comforting hand on her arm.

"Bertram Aubrey," Lily said. Her worry for her friend was seemingly overriding her distaste for James and Sirius at the moment. "You know, that Ravenclaw she always hangs around with, her boyfriend. He just broke up with her."

"H-He said I w-was horribly u-ugly!" Marlene howled, still leaning on Lily. "And s-stupid and boring and revolting-"

"That's enough," Sirius said gruffly. Even Marlene ceased crying and looked up at him. "He's wrong. You know what's really revolting? The fact that he's such an idiot he can't see how lucky he is to have you." Sirius was so angry that he might've hexed the stupid git Aubrey if he was in front of him. _I suppose that could be arranged..._

"You...really think that?" She looked at him in disbelief, her eyes red from crying and her face tear-stained.

"Why would I lie to you? You deserve better than him. You're kind and funny, you're loads smarter than that idiot, and you're the most beautiful girl in this school." He tried to keep his face neutral and not panic. That last bit had just slipped out before he could stop it. The last thing he needed to do right then was tell her how he felt. It would be insensitive. He stood before she could say anything about it. "Come on, Prongs." He walked quickly towards the portrait hole.

"Where are we going?" James asked, nearly running to keep up with Sirius as they stepped out of the common room once more.

"We're going to find Aubrey and make him wish he'd never even laid eyes on Marlene. The only thing I need you to do is keep me from killing him." Sirius took out his wand. _Which hex does that bastard deserve? Probably every one I can come up with._

James grinned as he followed his best friend. "Promise. Although I'd say he deserves it."

"Too true. But I doubt Marlene will be too happy if I kill him. I just need to make him regret making her cry."

* * *

Later that night, as he lay in bed, Sirius remembered Marlene's smile when she'd gotten a peek at Aubrey in the hospital wing, his head blown up to twice its normal size. He had done that. He had brought a smile to her face again, after that idiot had made her cry.

Making her happy was worth whatever nastiness Filch had in mind for his detention.


	5. Don't Forget

**A/N:**

 **Harry Potter Halloween Collection Prompts:** (food/drink) marshmallows

* * *

"Here you are, love." Sirius set a steaming mug of hot chocolate on the table in front of Marlene. He sat across from her, his hands wrapped around his own mug, soaking up the warmth.

Marlene stared at the light brown liquid, her brow furrowed. "You expect me to drink this?"

"Why not?" He took a sip from his mug. "It tastes fine to me."

"I'm sure it's fine," Marlene replied tartly. "Except that you've forgotten the marshmallows."

Sirius sighed. "Excuse me, _madam._ I forgot you won't drink hot chocolate without marshmallows." He got up and dug around in the pantry for a moment, finally finding the bag of tiny marshmallows. He set it down in front of her before sitting once more.

"That's more like it." She grinned as she took a few from the bag and placed them in the mug. She finally took a sip. "Perfect," she sighed.

"What difference do a few marshmallows make, anyway?"

"It just isn't hot chocolate without them. That's the rule." She put her hand in the middle of the table, palm down, and he covered it with his own.

"You're mental, you know that?"

"You're just irritated because I won the snowball war." She stuck her tongue out at him and giggled.

"You got lucky, McKinnon. Next time, you won't be able to touch me."

She downed the rest of her drink quickly and stood. "Challenge accepted."

"Right now?" He looked at her in amazement. "I just got warm again!" She ignored him, grabbing her coat off the hook by the door.

"Would you like to forfeit?" She looked over her shoulder at him, an eyebrow raised, smiling mischievously.

He finished his drink, slamming his mug back down on the table. "Not on your life. Loser makes more hot chocolate?"

"Deal." She reached for the door handle, pausing to look at him again. "Don't forget the marshmallows this time, loser."


	6. The Dare

**A/N:** While I didn't necessarily specify what year this takes place, it is just shortly after Lily would've been hanging around with James and company. Hence why Marlene didn't know "the big secret" yet.

* * *

 **Harry Potter Halloween Collection Prompts:** (feeling) panic; (location) The Shrieking Shack

* * *

Halloween night. James, Sirius, Remus, Peter, and Marlene would usually be at the Halloween feast at Hogwarts. Except that Sirius had dared the others that they couldn't last the night in the Shrieking Shack. The other three boys had immediately accepted the challenge. Marlene had been hesitant at first, but Sirius had finally goaded her into it. Lily flat out refused, so Marlene would be the only girl going.

"How in the world are we getting past the Whomping Willow?" Marlene asked skeptically as they reached the tree in question. It began waving wildly as they got close.

"Stand back, McKinnon," Sirius said, taking out his wand and pointing it at the tree. He muttered something under his breath, and the tree stopped moving. "Come on, this way." The other four followed him to the base of the tree, where a hole leading into a passage was visible.

"How do you know all of these secret passages anyway?" Marlene asked as they walked through the passage, illuminated only by the light of Sirius's wand in front of them.

"If we told you, we'd have to kill you," Remus said seriously.

"Yep, top secret stuff," Peter added.

"Ok, fine," Marlene said, rolling her eyes. She was sure that if she could see their faces better that they were probably smiling slyly. "Don't tell me. Keep your little secrets." _That's funny,_ she thought to herself. _I don't remember Peter actually following us in here..._ Shrugging, she decided that maybe she was just remembering incorrectly and put it out of her mind.

"Alright, here we are." Looking around, Marlene could see they were in what looked like a basement. Cobwebs and dirt on the walls were illuminated by the wand light. A set of rickety stairs led up to a door. He motioned toward the stairs. "After you, Marlene."

When she stepped through the door at the top of the stairs, she saw total wreckage. Broken furniture and torn fabric lay everywhere. The windows were all boarded up, but there were a few small gaps here and there, letting in some light from the half-full moon. They appeared to be in the main entrance of the house. There was a set of stairs leading to the second story and several doors to other rooms. Some of the doors were partly open and hanging precariously off their hinges. Dust and cobwebs covered everything.

"Pretty scary, huh?" James asked. "They call it the most haunted place in Britain. Think you can last the night?"

"Of course I can," Marlene said indignantly. She looked around the room. "Hey, where's Sirius?"

Remus also glanced around, looking slightly worried. "He was right behind me, he was the last one up. I'm sure he came through the door."

"Come on, Sirius," James said loudly. "The ghosts are supposed to freak us out, not you." There was no answer from Sirius. All they heard were the floorboards creaking under their weight and the wind blowing outside.

"Oh, he's here somewhere," James said, opening a door and sticking his head through the doorway. "Get out here, you - AAAAAAARGHHHHH!" James screamed and was suddenly yanked through the doorway, the door slamming behind him.

Peter ran towards the door, but Remus stopped him. "No Pete, don't! It's too late for him. The ghost got him." Remus was shaking as he held his friend back, an expression of horror on his face as he stared at the door.

"We've got to do something!" Marlene shouted. "What if it got Sirius too?" Her heart was thudding in her chest, her breathing shallow. She couldn't bear the thought of anything happening to him. He had become one of her best friends.

"We...we can't do anything." Peter was sobbing. "They say once the ghost that lives here decides it wants you dead, you can't escape. The only way they say you can get out is to survive until sunrise." He buried his face in his hands.

They heard an unearthly shriek from above them and a loud thud. Remus and Marlene left a trembling Peter behind and walked to the foot of the stairs, looking up to the second floor landing. "What do you suppose that was?" Marlene whispered.

"I'm not sure," Remus muttered. "I don't think it was friendly though. Pete, come on -" He stopped midsentence and tapped Marlene on the shoulder. She turned to look and nearly screamed.

Peter lay in a heap on the floor with a large black dog looming over him. It was the most frightening dog she'd ever seen. It's fur was matted and dirty, it was baring large white teeth, and there appeared to be blood on it's mouth.

"Don't. Move." Remus stood frozen next to her, looking absolutely terrified. Marlene was barely breathing or blinking. She didn't think she'd ever been more scared in all her life. They watched as the dog dragged the unconscious (and hopefully not dead) Peter away by his ankle into another room.

"Oh Merlin, what was that thing?" Marlene whispered. "It looked like a dog, but -"

"It was a grim," Remus said, voice trembling. "We have to get out of here. Those things don't normally hurt people, they just warn of impending doom. Whatever nasty spirit lives here must be using that thing to actually hurt anyone who comes across this place." She could see that he was just as frightened as she was.

He tried opening the front door with no success. It was barricaded too well. He tried the door that they had come through, but it was now unable to be opened. "It's not going to let us leave now." Remus pounded the door in frustration. "OPEN THE DOOR!" he shouted. "PLEASE LET US OUT!" He tried other doors; some opened, but only partially and not enough for them to squeeze through, while others wouldn't open at all.

The last door he tried opened fully. "Finally. Marlene -" The dog jumped on him before he could finish his sentence and dragged him by the collar through the door. As before, it slammed shut behind the grim and its victim.

Marlene screamed. She was alone now. No one to save her. Having someone else there might've made things a little easier. Trembling and sobbing, she collapsed onto the floor. What was she to do now? If Peter had been correct, her only hope was to survive until sunrise. Considering the others had all been taken within a half hour of being in the house, what chance did she stand?

She heard growling and looked up. The dog stood quite close to her, it's teeth bared. Panicking, Marlene backed up until she found herself in a corner. The dog followed her slowly, growling the entire time.

"No no no no," Marlene sobbed. "Please, I don't want to die. Please..." She covered her head with her arms, waiting for the dog to strike, to kill her. It would all be over in a moment, she could stop panicking now...

Except that something felt different suddenly. No, something _sounded_ different. The dog wasn't growling now. It was laughing. _Dogs don't laugh._ This thought broke through her terror and she slowly uncovered her head.

Sirius stood before her, doubled over, laughing. Remus, James, and Peter were behind him, laughing as well.

"You should've seen your face!" Sirius gasped. He collapsed on the floor, laughing even harder.

"What...what's...I don't understand." Marlene's panic had been replaced by total bewilderment. Hadn't she seen James, Peter, and Remus get dragged off by the dog? And Sirius had disappeared the moment they'd entered the house.

It took a few moments for the boys to calm down enough to explain everything to her. They explained Remus's lycanthropy, the ability of the other three to turn into Animagi, and the purpose for the Shrieking Shack.

Marlene's head was spinning by the time they'd finished. "So, you've mapped out all the passageways leading out of the school -"

"Correct." Sirius nodded.

"Remus is a werewolf and you all can turn into other animals, to keep him company and bring no harm to yourselves -"

"Yep."

"Peter was in his rat form and stood on the knot to let us past the Whomping Willow?"

"Mhm."

"And you were the dog?"

"Yes'm."

"Everyone else was sneaking around under James's invisibility cloak after they'd been taken, making noises and slamming doors?"

"As planned."

"And since it's Halloween, you decided to scare the living daylights out of me to introduce me to all of this madness?"

"Yep." Sirius smiled. "Did it work?" The smile disappeared from his face when Marlene slapped him. The sound echoed through the room. They all looked at her, shocked.

"You bastards!" she screamed. "You're all mental! You could've just told me!" She stood up and stormed to the basement door, which unsurprisingly opened this time. "You stay away from me!" She slammed the door behind her.

She was so furious she didn't even remember making it all the way through the passage. When she came through the tree once more and found it not trying to pummel her, she shouted over her shoulder, "Thanks a lot, you stupid rat!"

She stormed across the grounds and was halfway back to the castle when she heard Sirius calling after her.

"Marlene, please wait!"

She stopped and turned, waiting with her arms crossed. "What the hell do you want?" she asked when he got closer.

"I want to apologize, if you'll let me. I know we could've handled that better, but please don't be mad at them. It was my idea." He reached for her, but she jerked away.

"Don't touch me! You thought it would be funny? What kind of a friend are you?"

"I thought you might have fun with it," he admitted. "You did tell me you like to be scared, so I thought that after you found out it was all a prank, you'd have a good laugh about it with us."

"Yes, I do like to be scared. But don't you _ever_ make me think you're dead as a prank. It's not funny." She turned away, trying not to cry. "I thought something had happened to you. I thought I was never going to see you again."

They stood in silence for so long that Marlene wondered if he'd left her alone. He spoke just as she was about to turn around to see if he was still there. "I'm sorry. I didn't think -"

"That was obvious," she interjected. She didn't resist when he turned her to face him.

"Can you forgive me?" He looked at her pleadingly. "Please?"

She sighed. "Yes. Eventually. Just leave me alone right now, ok?" She walked away without waiting for an answer. Most of her anger had subsided, but she was still mad enough to slap him again if he gave her the opportunity. _Best to just keep my distance for now,_ she thought.

* * *

A week later, she joined him after breakfast and walked with him to Charms. They walked in silence, he too afraid to say something that might drive her away again, and she trying to think of the right thing to say.

"You know," she finally said, just before they entered the classroom, "I have to admit, aside from faking your death, that was a brilliant prank. Thanks for the scare. Apology accepted. Oh, and don't do it again."

"Of course." He smiled. Everything was right again.


	7. Pumpkin Obsession

**A/N:** I would call this a modern AU, simply because the pumpkin everything fad didn't really start until about 5 years ago (at least where I live). Enjoy!

* * *

 **Harry Potter Halloween Collection Prompts:** (food/drink) pumpkin pie/juice/spiced latte

 **Gringotts Wizarding Prompts Bank Prompts:** (season) autumn; (word) crisp

 **The Restricted Collection Prompts:** nowhere 'magical' as the setting

* * *

"There's something I don't understand about these Muggles this time of year." Sirius broke the comfortable silence between himself and Marlene as they walked hand in hand around London. The air had turned cool and crisp; autumn was most definitely in the air on this late September day.

"What's that, dear?" Marlene asked.

"What's their obsession with pumpkin flavored everything?" He gestured at a coffee shop across the street, the sign out front advertising pumpkin spice lattes and various pumpkin flavored pastries. "When September hits, they go into full-on pumpkin mode. I mean, I like pumpkin, but they're just insane about it."

"Have you ever _had_ a pumpkin spice latte? They're actually really good." Marlene tugged on his hand, turning him towards the coffee shop. "Come on, let's get you one. You won't regret it."

* * *

"Here we are." Sirius had found them a table by one of the large windows at the front of the store while Marlene had ordered their drinks. He had been reluctant to set foot in the shop, but Marlene had insisted, and he found it very difficult to say no to her. She set their cups on the table, along with two pumpkin muffins, as she sat down across from him. "I thought you might like a little snack, too, I'm starving."

Sirius took the lid off of his cup and sniffed. "Smells...pumpkiny."

Marlene rolled her eyes. "How observant. I'll be shocked if you tell me your pumpkin spice latte tastes like pumpkin." She took a sip of her drink. "Mmmmm, so good."

"You've been around me too much," Sirius said. "You never used to be this sarcastic." He poked at one of the muffins cautiously, as if he thought it might bite him.

"Survival tactic. I'd have never stuck around this long if I couldn't match your level of sarcasm." She grabbed his hand. "Will you stop playing with your food? It's not going to kill you, I promise. Just try it already."

"Fine." He reluctantly took a sip of his latte. Swallowing, he looked at her thoughtfully. "Hm. Tastes like pumpkin. And coffee." He took another sip. "Not bad. I can see why everyone enjoys this."

"Told you." She handed him a muffin. "Here. You've already poked this one a hundred times."

"Afraid of my germs, McKinnon? I'd think it's a bit late in the game for you to start getting squeamish about that." She rolled her eyes again when he winked at her. He finally took a bite out of the muffin. And then another and another.

"I'm guessing it's good?" Marlene asked as he finished it.

"Terrible," he said, shaking his head. "Absolutely disgusting. Most vile thing I've ever had the displeasure to eat."

"Hey!" Marlene slapped his hand. He had been trying to sneak the other muffin while she listened to him talk. "Paws off, Padfoot! That's mine!"

"What?" He looked at her innocently. "I was just going to hand it to you, love. Promise." He took another sip of his latte, staring at her over the rim of his cup with those sad eyes that always made her give in.

She sighed. "Oh fine, take it. I'll go grab another. _Which will be mine."_ She looked at him meaningfully as she got up and headed towards the counter.

He grabbed the other muffin, eating greedily. It was gone by the time Marlene sat down again. "Did you even taste it?" she asked incredulously.

He nodded, looking at her seriously. "Yeah. Tasted like pumpkin."

She paused, her muffin halfway to her mouth. "I'm never taking you out again, I swear."


	8. Let The Right One In

**A/N:**

 **Harry Potter Halloween Collection Prompt:** (title) Let The Right One In

* * *

Marlene heard the familiar scratching at the door, not for the first time that week. Whenever Sirius had a particularly rough day, he took on his dog form before coming home. "I don't know, I just feel safer, more relaxed that way," he'd told her. And the days had been quite rough lately. There were more disappearances and more people were dying every day. She found herself greeting Padfoot more often than Sirius.

 _He wasn't lying about being home late,_ she thought. She'd waited up until midnight for him and then gone to bed, falling asleep within an hour. She guessed that it must be at least three or four in the morning. Sighing, she threw off the blanket and trudged down the stairs.

"You're lucky I love you," she grumbled as she opened the door. "I was warm and comfortable." He looked up at her, his tail wagging. "Well, come on then. It's freezing out there." She motioned him inside and he trotted in.

Marlene closed the door and leaned against it, covering a yawn with her hand. "You could've transformed _after_ you let yourself in, you flea-bitten mongrel. Oh, come off it, I was only joking." He was giving her those sad eyes that she always gave in to, which were ten times worse when he was a dog. "Let's go."

She climbed back up the stairs, Padfoot following close behind. As soon as she was in bed once more, he jumped up onto the bed and burrowed under the blanket, snuggling up as close to her as he could. She put an arm around him and was quickly asleep.

"Um, Marlene?" She found herself awake again too soon. It was still totally dark outside.

"What?" she mumbled. She hugged him tightly, enjoying the warmth of his fur against her skin. _His fur? Didn't he just say something? How..._

"You do realize that's not me, right? Please tell me you didn't decide to get a dog."

She pushed the dog away, falling out of bed as she backed away from it. Sirius, who had been standing by her side of the bed, caught her. "I thought it was - I could've sworn -"

The dog, none to pleased with being disturbed, sat looking at them both. This seemed rather menacing to Marlene, as the dog's face wasn't visible in the darkness.

"You sly thing," Sirius said, chuckling. "I've been seeing him around the neighborhood lately. He's just a friendly stray, I've talked to him a few times. Must be he was watching me as well."

"So you're saying -"

"He's smarter than he looks. He's seen me coming and going. He knew you'd let him in because he looks almost exactly like me. A warm place to sleep, maybe some free food...what stray would turn that down?" He patted the dog on the head. "You can stay for the night, only because I'm too exhausted to care. We'll see about finding you a home tomorrow." The dog wagged his tail in response, then curled up at the foot of the bed.

"Yes, please," Marlene finally spoke. "I want to make sure I let the right one in next time."


	9. Bad Idea

**A/N:**

 **Harry Potter Halloween Collection Prompt:** (object) coffin

 **The Restricted Collection Prompt:** nothing but dialogue

 **Grongotts Wizarding Prompt Bank Prompts:** Once Upon A Time dialogue prompt: "Are you insane?"/ "Yes, I am."

* * *

"You want to get a coffin?"

"That's what I said."

"Are you insane?"

"Yes, I am."

"Sirius, really, what do we need a coffin for? You planning on killing me sometime soon?"

"I want to dress up as a vampire for Halloween, stand the coffin up by the front door, and pop out at kids when they come up to the door for candy."

"That's a very bad idea. And just plain mean."

"No. It's called mischief, Marlene. It's what I'm good at."

"Too good. We're not getting a coffin. End of discussion."

"But come on, it's perfect!"

"I'll not have angry parents wanting to yell at me when you give their children heart attacks!"

"Fine. Can we get a real vampire to do it instead?"

"I swear, one of these days your stupidity is going to kill me."


	10. Don't Be Afraid

**Harry Potter Halloween Collection Prompt:** (weather) thunder and lightning storm

* * *

Sirius heard the storm coming long before it hit, the distant rumble of thunder more audible to him in the stillness of the night. Marlene was fast asleep beside him, undisturbed by the noise. He watched her as she slept, lightning flashes illuminating her face more and more frequently as the storm approached.

She stirred as the first rain drops pattered against the window. He could hear the wind picking up and the thunder had now turned into deep, house-shaking rumbles. This was going to be quite the storm.

"Sirius?" Marlene whispered, a note of anxiety in her voice. "Are you awake?"

"Mhm," he said. "Everything alright?" She snuggled against him in response, burying her head in his chest. Something was obviously wrong, but he couldn't figure out what. Maybe she'd had a bad dream? Or maybe...

"Are you afraid of thunderstorms?" he wondered aloud as he put an arm around her. While he had been friends with Marlene for years, there was still a lot he didn't know about her. Something he planned to remedy now that they'd become far more than friends.

"Um...a little." Her voice was shaky. He could feel her trembling. "I never liked them as a child. I always assumed I'd outgrow it, but I haven't. I'm kind of embarrassed about it, especially right now."

Sirius kissed the top of her head. "Embarrassed? Just because I know what you're afraid of now? Please, you'll laugh when you hear what I'm afraid of."

"And what's that?" she asked, pushing away from him enough to be able to look up at his face.

"Fleas."

Marlene giggled. "Sorry, but it is funny."

"Told you you'd laugh." He pulled her close again and smiled. She was still shaking, but not as much as before.

They lay awake as the storm raged on outside. She occasionally jumped at the sound of the thunder or when the lightning seemed to be striking very close by. Whenever this happened, he would squeeze her and whisper reassuringly in her ear.

As the storm began to fade, he felt her finally relax. Her breathing became slower and shallower as she fell asleep once more. Not wanting to disturb her and enjoying the feel of her in his arms, Sirius held her as she slept. _I could get used to this,_ he thought, just before he too drifted off to sleep.


	11. The Master of Horror

**A/N:** It's back! I already have a few stories written to finish off this collection and the plan is to post one a day. I'm not promising that will happen every day, but I'm going to do my best! Since my last one was a bit fluffy/serious, I thought I'd go with a different kind of interaction between Sirius and Marlene for this one. I'd say this takes place sometime around their fourth or fifth year. Edgar Allan Poe is one of my favorite classic authors and _The Masque of the Red Death_ is my favorite story that he wrote. Anyway, I hope you all enjoy and it's nice to be writing for this collection again!

 **Harry Potter Halloween Collection Prompt:** (plot theme) Hearing a ghost story/Watching a scary film

* * *

 **The Master of Horror**

"...and the house remains empty to this day, the story of that terrifying night keeping away anyone who doesn't want to die a horrific death."

The group of first years seated at Sirius's feet whispered to each other as he finished his story.

Marlene, who had been sitting by the fire listening as she did her Arithmancy homework, rolled her eyes. "Please, Sirius. The Shrieking Shack? You have no idea how to tell a truly scary story."

"And I suppose you do?" Sirius asked disbelievingly.

Marlene nodded, putting her homework away and taking out a well-worn book. "Not stories of my own invention, but still frightening nonetheless. Have any of you heard of Edgar Allan Poe?" She addressed the first years. When only a couple of them nodded, she smiled approvingly. "Good. Prepare for some truly terrifying tales."

"Wait a minute," Sirius protested. "You should make up your own stories, just like I did. It's only fair."

"I wouldn't dream of outdoing Poe," Marlene said firmly. "Just wait, Sirius. You might even get scared by these." Sirius looked skeptical, but moved aside so that she could stand in front of the group.

Marlene flipped through the pages until she found what she wanted. "The thousand injuries of Fortunato I had borne as best I could..."

The young students listened, captivated by Marlene's dramatic reading of _The Cask of Amontillado._ When she finished, she didn't close her book, but looked up to see every eye upon her, mouths gaping.

Sirius cleared his throat. "Well, that was interesting, but not very terrifying," he said.

"I can continue," Marlene suggested. "In fact, I'd say I can get you to admit that Poe wrote better horror stories than the ones you've been telling."

"Do your worst," Sirius challenged, motioning for her to continue, and this time he sat next to the group on the floor. As she read _The Tell-Tale Heart_ , she glanced up from time to time to find him listening as raptly as the younger Gryffindors. _The Oval Portrait_ and _The Pit and the Pendulum_ were next, and he never took his eyes off of her.

"Enjoying yourself, Sirius?" Marlene asked once she finished the final story, her favorite, _The Masque of the Red Death._

"This guy's good," Sirius said reverently.

"Better than you?" She smiled knowingly.

"Better than me," Sirius admitted.

From then on, when Sirius wanted to tell a new group of first years scary stories at Halloween, he asked Marlene for that book.


	12. Kidnapped

**A/N:** I'm not really sure where this idea came from. I rather liked it though. I hope you all enjoy it also!

 **Harry Potter Halloween Collection Prompt:** (weather) misty/foggy

* * *

 **Kidnapped**

Sirius pulled the map of Malfoy Manor and the surrounding property out of his pocket. He'd stayed awake all last night studying it carefully, looking for promising points of entry into the wooded area behind the house. The fact that he had to go this alone infuriated him.

Three days ago, he'd returned home to find his house broken into and his wife missing, with no evidence as to who'd done it. The only clue he'd had to go off of was a stack of letters that had been hidden away in Marlene's nightstand. The stand had been tipped over in the attack, the drawer spilling its contents onto the floor of their bedroom. The letters turned out to be from Marlene's ex, Lucius Malfoy. She'd dumped him two years ago, but it seemed that he'd never quite got over the humiliation of it. The letters, which dated back as far as a year, threatened violence against her and her new husband. Sirius had always known that Malfoy hated him for marrying Marlene, although he had had nothing to do with her decision to leave. Marlene had said nothing to Sirius of these letters.

The letters had been enough to convince the police to bring Lucius in for questioning that night. Sirius had asked to be involved in the case and, despite the circumstances, the Lieutenant had reluctantly allowed him to question Lucius, but wouldn't allow him to be involved any further than that. Sirius and James had interrogated Lucius, but the man had refused to talk. They'd kept him in a holding cell while a search of Malfoy Manor was executed, but the extensive search turned up nothing. Marlene wasn't there and there was no evidence to tie Lucius to her disappearance. He'd been allowed to walk free the next day. Sirius, infuriated, had argued with the Lieutenant, but with no success. He'd even been pulled off the case and told to let someone more impartial handle it.

That was when Sirius had gotten the idea to take matters into his own hands and, not wanting to get his friend in trouble, Sirius had decided against telling James. The forested area behind the manor had been ruled out initially, due to the fact that there were no buildings or anything else in which to hide someone. This oversight proved to Sirius that the Malfoys could get away with anything, so long as they threw enough money at whatever problem they were faced with. He was sure now that the bastard had her hidden somewhere in these woods and paid off someone important to keep the area from being searched. Whether she were still alive or dead was questionable. At first, he'd thought that Lucius wouldn't kill her, but now, after the last few days with no sign of her, Sirius began to wonder if she really were dead.

"No," Sirius admonished himself, "she's not. She can't be." Refolding the map and slipping it back into his pocket, Sirius climbed over the low fence at the edge of the forest. He was approaching from the behind the manor. Trying to enter directly in front of the manor itself would be suicide. He was certain that Lucius had plenty of protection, hired thugs just waiting for Sirius to try something. He couldn't be certain that some of those men weren't here in the forest. His hand rested on the gun holstered at his side. The thick fog enshrouding the area made him feel both thankful and uneasy; no one would see him coming, but he wouldn't see anyone else either.

Sirius searched for what felt like hours, looking carefully for anything suspicious. Just when he'd given up hope, he saw something. He could just make out a shape through the fog, something that looked like a very strangely shaped tree trunk. The tree itself appeared normal enough, but the bottom of the trunk looked oddly large. Like maybe there was someone sitting against it on the ground.

Sirius approached quietly and cautiously, not sure what he was likely to find. He stayed hidden behind the trees as best he could. When he was finally able to see clearly, he had to keep himself from calling out to her, not knowing if there was anyone else nearby. It was Marlene. A single thick rope bound both her hands and feet together, forcing her to remain in a fetal position. She was sitting up, her head resting against the tree. Her eyes were closed, but he could just see the rise and fall of her chest.

When he reached her, he knelt down in front of her, working at the rope. The sight of bruises and cuts on her face enraged him. Her bottom lip was split open, dried blood caking the wound. She was pale and shivering slightly as a result of the chill, damp air. She wore only jeans and a t-shirt. The thought of her spending two cool nights out in the open, dressed as she was and with no means of keeping warm, made him even angrier. "Marlene," he said, quietly, desperately. "Marlene, can you hear me?"

Marlene's eyes fluttered open. "S-Sirius?"

"Yes, it's me," Sirius answered, relieved to hear the sound of her voice again. "It's going to be alright. I'm going to get you out of here."

"How did – you find me?" She struggled to speak.

"That's not important right now," he said, finally freeing her hands and moving to her feet. The last thing he wanted to do right now was argue with her about the letters and why she hadn't said anything to him. He was too relieved that she was alive and she didn't have the strength for it.

"I thought – I thought I was – going to die. I was afraid I'd – never see you again."

"Quiet, love," Sirius said gently. "We can talk about it later." The rope finally came loose and he tossed it aside. Removing his coat, he draped it over her shoulders. "The only thing I want to know right now is, did he – did he do anything to you?" He needed to know and yet he was afraid of the answer.

Marlene seemed to understand what he meant. "No," she replied. "Nothing like that. He did hit me, over and over. Left me here to die. Wanted me to know – how it felt to be abandoned." She coughed and winced.

"Enough talking. I need to get you out of here." Carefully scooping her up, he gingerly made his way through the forest, relieved when he spotted the fence again. They'd made it without being caught.

* * *

The next day, Marlene was recovering in the hospital and Lucius was locked away, where he belonged. Sirius had a difficult time trying to explain his actions to the Lieutenant. He managed to get out of it with only a two week suspension. "Consider yourself lucky it isn't longer. I'll be keeping a closer eye on you from now on," the Lieutenant said gruffly before dismissing him.

He'd gone immediately back to the hospital, eager to check on Marlene. She opened her eyes when he entered the room. "Hey." She looked and sounded much better than she had earlier. The doctors thought she would only need a few days of recovery and then she could go home.

Sirius kissed her forehead. "How are you?"

Marlene bit her lip. "I know how you found me," she said, ignoring his question. "James was by earlier with Lily to check on me. He told me that you found the letters."

Sirius hadn't been planning on talking about this until she was home, but now it seemed he had no choice. He sat in the chair at her bedside and thought carefully about how to respond. "Why didn't you tell me?" This seemed the easiest thing to ask. He found that he really wasn't angry with her anymore. He was too busy being relieved that he hadn't lost her for good.

"I didn't think he'd actually do anything." Her eyes shone with tears. "I'm so sorry. I should've shown those letters to you right away. I just didn't want to bother you with it."

Sirius took her hand. "You're right, you should have," he agreed. "You could never bother me, especially if it's something that will keep you safe. But what's done is done, and I think you've learned your lesson. You're safe now, and that's all I care about."

Marlene smiled through her tears. "He was wrong, you know."

Sirius looked at her, confused. "What do you mean?"

"He thought that kidnapping me and leaving me to die in the woods would make me feel what he felt," she explained. "He felt abandoned when I left him, even though he was the one who drove me away with his jealousy and need to control me. But he didn't count on you, now did he?" She closed her eyes again. "I'll never feel abandoned with you around."

Sirius smiled and kissed the back of her hand. "I'll always come for you, no matter what. Always remember that."


	13. Hide and Seek

**Harry Potter Halloween Collection Prompt:** (dialogue) "I'm not hiding in there!"/"Why not?"/"Well, if we have to hide, I want to be somewhere familiar. I want to know where the exits are, and I want to be allowed to smoke."

* * *

 **Hide and Seek**

The endless rain of the last two weeks had put a strain on the students and staff of Hogwarts. Herbology and Care of Magical Creatures had been cancelled indefinitely as the grounds were flooded. Quidditch had been cancelled as well for the same reason - no one could even make it to the Quidditch pitch. It was impossible to leave the safety of the solid stone floors of the castle, and anyone who tried got their shoes stuck in the mud. Everyone was starting to get cabin fever.

Professor Dumbledore, eccentric as ever, gathered the students in the Great Hall one morning during the perpetual rain and announced a school-wide game of Hide and Seek and, to liven things up, no magic would be allowed. Students would pair off, with two houses hiding and two seeking.

"I think the rain's waterlogged his brain if he thinks I'm seeking out any Slytherins," Sirius commented to his friends. "They can stay hidden. Maybe they'll get lost and we can have some peace and quiet around here."

"You weren't listening," Marlene said with displeasure. "He just said we're going to be hiding, as is Slytherin."

"Whatever, McKinnon. Oi, James-" Sirius had just been about to ask his best friend to be his partner, but James was already walking out of the Great Hall hand in hand with Lily. Remus and Peter had paired off as well, their heads already together trying to come up with a good hiding spot. Resigned, he turned back to Marlene.

Marlene's eyes widened as she realized what he was thinking. "Oh no," she said, "no, I will _not_ hide with _you._ No way."

"What other choice do you have?" Ever since Lily had changed her mind about James, Marlene had started hanging around with them all in order to stay close to her best friend. She got along well with everyone except Sirius. She still couldn't be civil to him for even one entire day, especially when he started flirting with her.

Marlene glanced around desperately, but everyone she knew had already been taken. She stood and started to walk out of the Great Hall, stopping when she realized Sirius wasn't behind her. "Well, are you coming?" she called over her shoulder.

They had been given one hour to find an appropriate hiding spot. The unlikely pair of Sirius and Marlene had already wasted five of those minutes trying not to get stuck together, and another ten arguing over the best place to hide.

"I'm telling you, the Astronomy Tower is perfect," Sirius insisted again. "There's a little hidden room up there that not many people know about. We could hide in there for days without being found."

"That's the problem," Marlene countered. "I don't want to be hiding with you for days. I think somewhere like the kitchens would be better. Hardly anyone goes there."

"If by anyone you mean just yourself, then you're right," Sirius said, laughing. "You don't pay much attention to things, do you? Students are in the kitchens all the time."

"You don't have to be an ass about it," Marlene said testily. "Fine, I've got it. What about the Divination classroom? There's a little closet in there where the the crystal balls are kept, but there's a large enough gap between the floor and the bottom shelf that I think we could sit comfortably."

"I'm not hiding there!" Sirius said quickly.

"Why not?" Marlene thought it made perfect sense.

"Well, if we have to hide, I want to be somewhere familiar. I want to know where the exits are, and I want to be allowed to smoke." Sirius said all of this with a straight face.

Marlene clapped a hand to her forehead in exasperation. "You are _beyond_ ridiculous," she said. "Firstly, from what Lily's told me, this whole damn castle should be familiar to you. Second, there is one safe exit - the door, obviously - and the window, which I take when I've had enough of your idiocy and just want to end it all. Third, you don't smoke!"

"How do you know?" Sirius said, feigning offense. "Have you ever asked?"

Marlene narrowed her eyes at him. "Do you smoke?" she asked, clearly irritated.

"No."

Marlene stared at him speechless for several seconds before grabbing his arm and dragging him in the direction of the Divination classroom.

Three hours later, they were still squashed together in the closet. There was enough room to sit up properly, but the closet wasn't very wide or deep. This presented the rather unfortunate consequence, for Marlene at least, of having to be entangled with each other. Sirius didn't seem to mind in the least.

"It's so hot in here," Marlene stated for the third time in an hour. "Open the door a little more."

"I can't open it anymore or we'll be found," Sirius said. "I'm already going to have to act quickly to get it closed if someone comes up." He leaned in close to her, his face inches from hers. "We could make it really hot in here, if you know what I mean."

"I do know what you mean," Marlene said irritably, trying to push him away, "and you're disgusting. I'm not snogging with you just because we're hiding in a closet together."

"Aha!" The door flew open and a pair of Ravenclaws stared down at them triumphantly. "Found you!"

"Oh thank Merlin," Marlene said, disentangling herself from Sirius, pushing past the Ravenclaws, and running from the room.

Unfortunately, she couldn't run or hide from the rumors that persisted for the next week about her time in the closet with Sirius. Sirius, of course, enjoyed it, much to her dismay.


	14. You're Next

**Harry Potter Halloween Collection Prompt:** (story title) You're Next

* * *

 **You're Next**

"You know what this means." Lily gave Marlene a sly look. "You caught the bouquet, so you're the next one to get married."

"No way," Marlene scoffed. "I don't plan on ever getting married, not unless I find the perfect man. Which I'm sure we all know doesn't exist. You just got lucky, you found the closest thing to perfection possible."

Lily smiled fondly over at her new husband, who was talking with his friends. "I did get lucky." She looked back at Marlene, her smile never fading. "Don't judge too harshly, Marlene. You never know, what you're looking for may be right in front of you. I know from experience."

* * *

"So, you're next, huh?" Marlene and Sirius were walking back home together after the wedding. They lived quite close to one another, within a few blocks, and Marlene often found herself being escorted home by Sirius after dinner parties and holiday celebrations with their other friends.

"What?"

Sirius pointed at the bouquet, held loosely in her right hand. "You caught the bride's bouquet. That's supposed to mean you're the next one to get married, right?"

"Hmph." Marlene considered throwing the flowers down on the ground right then and there and forgetting the whole thing. "You don't really believe in something as silly as that, do you? Like I told Lily, I'm not getting married. Ever."

"So you say," Sirius countered, "but when was the last time you gave anyone a shot? Just because that last good-for-nothing you were seeing in school-"

"Corbin."

"Never could remember his name. Anyway, just because he was a womanizer of the worst kind doesn't mean we're all like that." He put an arm around her shoulders and leaned in close. "Maybe I could change your mind?"

If he had been any other guy, she would've pushed him away. But Sirius, annoying as he was sometimes, was an exception. He was one of her best friends. "Are you on that again?" She tried not to sound mean about it, but she really felt uncomfortable when Sirius started flirting with her. They were friends and that was that. There was no need to take things further, especially when Marlene had sworn off getting involved with anyone ever again. "I don't date my best friends. End of story."

"Why not?" Sirius's usual joking manner was gone, his expression and tone of voice full of sincerity.

"What does it matter to you? I thought you were just out to have fun." _Which is why I'll never be in a relationship with you,_ Marlene thought. _I've had enough of being someone's woman of the moment._

"Yeah, I have been," Sirius admitted, "but it's time I thought about settling down. Weddings kind of make you think about that stuff." He shrugged and moved away from her, putting distance between them once more. "Haven't you ever wondered what it would be like? You and me?"

Marlene blushed. She couldn't deny that several years ago, she had harbored a secret crush for Sirius, something that not even Lily knew about. He was always such a charmer in school, and he was very attractive, even in his early teen years. She'd fallen under his spell, but had been distracted by Corbin, something she still regretted, even two years after the bastard had abandoned her. "Honestly, yes," she finally answered. "But it's just a fantasy."

"It could be more," Sirius persuaded. "Come on, Mar, what have you got to lose?"

Marlene actually considered it, against her better judgment. Perhaps it was time to start thinking about the future instead of hiding from it. She still had reservations about some things, though. "Our friendship would be at stake, you know. If things ended badly..."

"It's a possibility. But how will we know if we never try?"

 _So, he's completely serious about this. I might regret this someday, but then again, I might regret it if I just walk away from this opportunity as well._ Sighing, she said, "If you can prove to me that not all men are ridiculously stupid, then I might even consider marrying you."

Sirius's face brightened. "Challenge accepted. Start planning the wedding now, McKinnon."

 _I'm definitely going to regret this._

In the end, the only thing Marlene regretted was not giving Sirius a chance sooner.


	15. Protector

**A/N:** I wanted to add more to this, something along the lines of Sirius being worried about Marlene the next day, but not really being able to give a reason for his concern without revealing all of the secrets surrounding himself and his group of friends. I may eventually republish this separately and add that bit onto the end, but right now, I don't know how I'd want to approach that. Enjoy!

 **Harry Potter Halloween Collection Prompts:** (color) Blood red; (word) Scream

* * *

 **Protector**

Marlene crept quietly out of the castle. She was determined to find out what James, Sirius, and Peter were getting up to this time. She had seen them sneaking out of the common room earlier, when they'd thought everyone else was already asleep. She'd been tucked away in a corner of the room, hiding herself as best she could as she waited for them. She was tired of them getting into trouble all the time and losing points for Gryffindor. She would discover what was going on and put a stop to it herself. She'd heard one of them saying something about the forest, and so she was certain she'd find them somewhere out here.

A blood red full moon brightened the landscape, giving the grounds of Hogwarts a very eerie look. She shivered and pulled her cloak more tightly around her, even though it wasn't the chill of the November night that was getting to her. She heard a howl in the distance. It probably wasn't smart to be wandering around in the middle of the night. Hopefully she'd be able to find them quickly and get back into bed, where it was safe.

Making her way across the grounds toward the lake, Marlene looked around, hoping for any sign of the three troublemakers. She saw movement off to her right. Turning in that direction, she saw something advancing on her, like a hunter stalking its prey. She froze. It was in the shadow of a tree, so she couldn't see exactly what it was. Marlene's pulse quickened when it stepped into the light.

A werewolf.

Oh, how stupid she'd been. How stupid they'd all been, to be out on a night like this. She'd been foolish enough to think that any werewolves in the area would stay in the Forbidden Forest. This one must have caught her scent and considered itself lucky to have found such an easy target. As much as they annoyed her, she hoped the three boys hadn't come across this monster. She reached into her pocket for her wand, only to realize she'd left it in her room.

Marlene started to back away slowly, afraid that any sudden movements would cause it to strike. She stumbled and fell backwards when she heard a low growl. It hadn't come from the werewolf. A large black dog suddenly jumped out of the shadows. Certain that they were both going to attack her, Marlene covered her head with her arms, a scream escaping her lips.

Marlene was surprised when she didn't feel claws and teeth piercing her flesh. She dared to peek around her arms and was surprised by the scene before her. The werewolf was indeed trying to attack her, but the black dog was holding it back, lunging and baring its teeth at the werewolf whenever it tried to advance on her. The dog looked back at her, its grey eyes pleading with her. _Get out of here,_ it seemed to be saying. _I'll hold him off._

Marlene quickly scrambled to her feet and ran as fast as she could back up to the castle, not daring to look behind her. She could hear the dog and the werewolf fighting behind her. She only stopped once she was safely back inside again. She slumped against the door, not caring if Filch came by and caught her out of bed. Detention was better than death. Trying to catch her breath and calm her racing heart, Marlene silently thanked the black dog for saving her from a terrible fate.


	16. Beautiful

**Harry Potter Halloween Collection Prompt:** (color) Dark purple

* * *

 **Beautiful**

Sirius paced impatiently outside the bedroom door. "We're going to be late, you know!"

"Oh please," came Marlene's muffled reply, "punctuality has never been one of your strengths. Besides, when has James ever been on time for anything either?"

Sirius rolled his eyes. "Whatever. What could possibly be taking you so long?"

"Just relax, will you? Stop distracting me and I'll be done faster."

"Knew I should've stayed single," Sirius muttered. "Women are nothing but trouble."

"What was that?" Marlene asked sharply.

"Nothing, dearest," Sirius said innocently. "Take your time."

After another five minutes, the door to the bedroom opened and Marlene stepped out. Sirius opened his mouth to make a comment about how long it had taken her to get ready, but was silenced when he saw her.

Marlene rarely wore dresses. She hated them, Merlin knew why, and so to see her wearing one now was shocking. It was dark purple, a color he had always thought suited her well. The skirt ended just above her knees and the sleeves reached her elbows. It was modest, not revealing more than was necessary, and flattering in all the right places. Her light brown hair was tied in a simple ponytail with a ribbon the same shade as the dress. He hadn't thought it possible for her to be more beautiful than she always was, but he was proven wrong in that moment.

Marlene looked more and more downcast the longer he stared at her. "Oh, it's all wrong, isn't it?" she moaned. Her words started to come out in a rush. "This is why I hate dresses, my hair wouldn't cooperate, I tried a couple of different things with it but had to just do this in the end, I should just go change-"

Sirius silenced her with a long, slow kiss. "You're beautiful. Don't you dare change a thing." Marlene's surprised expression slowly melted into a shy smile.

Sirius decided as they left the house that she could take all the time in the world to get ready next time if this was the end result.


	17. Love and Friendship

**A/N:** I wrote this one outside not too long after the first day of fall. Aside from the lack of autumn colors (which is disappointing), the day was exactly as I described here. The idea for this was borne from something that I have sometimes wondered: How did Sirius react to James and Lily at first? I mean, he and James were best friends, and all of a sudden, this girl comes along and becomes a part of the group. I'm not so sure he would've been totally okay with it at first. He probably would've acted like everything was alright, but I think he would've been conflicted about it and maybe just a bit jealous of Lily. Anyway, enjoy!

 **Harry Potter Halloween Collection Prompt:** (dialogue) "You gave me such a fright! I thought you were a ghost!"

* * *

 **Love and Friendship**

Marlene pulled her cloak tightly around her as she started the trek up the hill overlooking Hogsmeade. It was a blustery autumn day, sunny and cool. She breathed deeply, inhaling the earthy scent of fallen leaves. Looking up, she took in the vibrant yellows, bright oranges, and deep reds of the leaves still on the trees, the colors of autumn standing out against the blue sky. She couldn't envision a more perfect day.

"Where are you going?" The voice startled her. She'd been so lost in admiring the scenery that she hadn't heard anyone coming up behind her. She whirled around, coming face to face with Sirius.

"Sirius!" Marlene shrieked, slapping him on the shoulder. "You gave me such a fright! I thought you were a ghost!" She tried to breathe normally and calm her pounding heart.

"Ow." Sirius grimaced and rubbed at his shoulder. "Remind never to surprise you like that again. Why would you think I was a ghost, anyway?"

"The Shrieking Shack isn't that far. Everyone knows it's haunted," Marlene said, her tone indicating that this should be obvious.

"Oh. Right." Sirius shrugged. "Sorry. Didn't mean to scare you. I just saw you heading up here and thought I'd join you. If you don't mind, that is," he added quickly.

Marlene was a little surprised that he wanted to spend time with her. While they were on friendly terms now more than they had been in previous years, they still didn't really talk all that much, and they certainly never spent time alone together. Despite that, Marlene didn't see a problem with him joining her. "Sure. If you really want to walk with me, I don't mind."

They started up the hill again side by side in silence. Normally, Marlene would think it was a bit odd to be with someone and not talking, but this felt right. It was nice to not have to fill the silence with small talk. The hill was rather steep and got a bit rocky about halfway up. Despite having made this climb several times in her years at Hogwarts, she usually ended up having to focus entirely on keeping her footing; conversation would only make that more difficult.

Marlene did slip once, automatically putting her hands in front of her to catch herself, but she never felt cool, sharp rock on her skin. Sirius's hand was warm in hers as he caught her and helped her regain her footing. "Careful," he cautioned her. "It's a bit treacherous here." He released her and, to her surprise, Marlene actually found that she wished he hadn't. They continued on, Marlene contemplating her strange reaction to him.

When they reached the top of the hill, they sat side by side and looked down at the village, the streets filled with Hogwarts students exploring the shops and sights of Hogsmeade. Once again, they didn't speak, instead taking in the view. Even though she'd seen it many times, Marlene still loved it.

"I'm curious about something." Marlene broke the companionable silence between them.

"What's that?" Sirius asked distractedly, his gaze fixed on the village.

"Why aren't you with James?" Marlene asked. "You two are usually inseparable." For some reason, this hadn't occurred to her until now.

Sirius didn't answer right away, or even look at her. She began to wonder if he was going to answer at all when he finally said, "If I tell you something, will you promise not to laugh at me?"

Marlene was taken aback. She didn't think she'd ever seen him so serious before. He was usually laughing or smiling, seemingly always happy. "Of course," she promised. "What is it?"

"It's just that – Lily and James have been spending so much time together lately. Their relationship is getting quite serious. I never thought she'd give him a chance, but – " He drew his knees up close to his chest, resting his chin on them and wrapping his arms around his legs. "I guess I'm a bit jealous of her, you know? Not that he's neglecting me or anything, but we aren't spending as much time together as we used to, and it's just not the same with her around. Even today, the three of us came here together and I had to separate myself from them, even though I came expressly to spend some time with him. I just felt like the odd man out." He finally lifted his head and looked over at her. She was surprised to see tears glistening in his eyes. "Am I a bad friend for feeling that way?"

Marlene wasn't sure how to respond at first. She'd never even imagined that Sirius Black would confide in her or ask her advice. She considered her words carefully before answering. "I think it's natural for you to feel that way. You've been so close to James for so many years, and now someone new is coming in and changing everything. Friendships change, Sirius. Nothing stays the same forever. It doesn't mean you can't still be close friends with him, it just means that you have to accept the fact that Lily is a big part of his life now."

"I've been trying to accept that," he said dejectedly, looking down at the ground between them and picking at the grass. "It's just not easy. It's not that I don't like Lily, I do. She's a nice girl. I just – I miss how things used to be, that's all."

"Have you talked to him about this? Maybe you should," she suggested when he shook his head. "If he has no idea that you're feeling this way, how can you two keep your friendship as genuine as possible? I've always thought there were no secrets between best friends. It might be difficult to talk about with him, but I'm sure he'll be glad you were honest with him." She took his hand without knowing why. Perhaps, she thought, she just wanted to reassure him, although it was also possible she wanted to feel his warmth again. "You have Remus and Peter too, you know. You might not be as close to them, but they're still your friends. And you can make other friends as well."

Sirius stared at their joined hands for a moment. She couldn't tell what he was thinking or feeling, but when he looked back up at her, a small smile brightened his face. "Maybe I already have made a new friend," he said. "Thanks, Marlene. I think I will talk to James later."

They stayed there on the hill, holding hands, until it was time to head back up to the castle. They walked back together, going their separate ways when they reached the common room. Marlene smiled as she saw Sirius approach James. No matter how things turned out between the two friends, Marlene had the feeling that she would be seeing a lot more of Sirius. She found that she rather looked forward to it.


	18. Reflection

AU - both Sirius and Marlene survived through the end of the second war

 **Halloween Collection Prompt:** (location) Azkaban burial grounds

* * *

 **Reflection**

It had been ten years since Sirius had escaped the hell of Azkaban. Something had drawn him back here, although he couldn't explain just what it was. He just needed to see the place now. He knew that Kingsley had made many changes, the most important one being the banishment of the dementors.

Even after several years without the presence of the oppressive beings, there was still an air of depression about the place. As he stood at the edge of the burial grounds, Sirius wondered how any of the Aurors could stand to guard this place. Even though they were regularly rotated back to the mainland, it still had to get to them.

A warm hand slipped into his and for the first time ever on this horrible island, Sirius felt comforted. Marlene had insisted on accompanying him. He had refused at first, not wanting her to see such a terrible place no matter how much it had been transformed. Now he was glad to have her by his side.

Marlene looked around at the mounds, her expression sober. "So many," she said. "So many people died here. I can't imagine this being my final resting place." She shivered in the chill wind coming off the sea.

"I could have been here too, you know." Sirius's gaze traveled over the graveyard. "I spent so many years here. If I hadn't escaped, I would've ended up like all of these people."

Marlene squeezed his hand. "I'm glad things didn't turn out that way," she said. "We would've never found each other again. I don't want to imagine what my life would've been like then. I just wish things hadn't happened the way they did. If you hadn't been sent here, maybe we could've had more time together."

Sirius shook his head. "Other than what happened to James and Lily, I wouldn't change a thing. If surviving two wars and thirteen years in Azkaban led me to you, then I'd do it all over again."

As Marlene laid her head against his shoulder, Sirius knew that everything they'd suffered, everything they'd lost, had led them to each other. To him, she was the reward for a lifetime of suffering, a prize well worth every hardship he'd endured.


	19. Secret

**Harry Potter Halloween Collection Prompt:** (creature/being) Werewolf

 **A Through Z Challenge:** Secret

* * *

 **Secret**

"Sirius, I need to talk to you."

Sirius exchanged puzzled glances with Remus and Peter. Marlene McKinnon spent most of her time trying to avoid Sirius; he couldn't fathom why she would need to talk to him now.

"Alright," he said, genuinely curious to know what she wanted. "Go on ahead, mates. I'll catch up with you." They were all on their way to the Quidditch pitch to watch Gryffindor take on Ravenclaw. James had seemed especially confident that morning at breakfast that it would be an easy Gryffindor victory.

"Follow me." Marlene pulled him off to the side, away from the steady stream of students heading to the match.

"Whoa, McKinnon. I know every girl secretly dreams about me, but I never thought you of all people would act on your fantasies." He put on his most charming smile when she faced him.

"Shut up, Black." Marlene rolled her eyes. "I can tell you that I absolutely do not fantasize about you and I'm definitely not going to snog you. Ever. Anyway," she said dismissively, "that's not what I need to tell you. It's about Remus." She lowered her voice to just above a whisper. "Sirius, he's a werewolf. I know it."

Sirius's smile faltered. How in the world had she found out about that? He was sure that beyond himself, James, Peter, and the staff at Hogwarts, no one else knew. "What are you talking about?" He laughed uncomfortably. "Remus is just as normal as you and I."

"Don't you think it's odd that he disappears every month?"

Sirius shrugged. "You're suspicious of him just because he's got bad luck?"

"It's more than that," Marlene huffed. "It's the same time every month, Sirius! He's always gone during the week of the full moon. I've been keeping track."

She was certainly more observant than Sirius had thought. He wasn't sure how to reply to her. He must've taken too long to come up with something because she looked at him curiously.

"How long have you known?" she asked.

It was no use trying to cover up the truth now. "Since second year," he admitted.

"And you're – okay with it?" Marlene asked.

Sirius felt anger welling up inside him at her words. "Why wouldn't I be? He's my friend." He wondered what Marlene planned to do now that her suspicions were confirmed. "Are _you_ okay with it?"

Marlene's lips curved up into a small smile. "I have no reason to dislike Remus," she said. "He's nice enough most of the time. Just because I know what he is doesn't mean I'm going to suddenly hate him. The only reason I said anything to you was to confirm that I was right. I'm just glad to know you do have a heart, Sirius. I thought that you and James just liked to bully anyone who was different in any way. I guess I was wrong." With that, she left, rejoining the few stragglers still making their way down to the Quidditch pitch.

Sirius stood pondering her words for a moment. Marlene was certainly a mystery to him, one that he wasn't sure he'd ever figure out. "Wait!" He ran after her, catching up to her quickly. He grabbed her by the shoulder and turned her to face him. "What are you going to do? Promise me you won't tell anyone else about this."

Brow furrowed, Marlene asked, "What are you talking about, Black?" She turned away again and kept walking, but looked back over her shoulder and winked at him.

Sirius knew then that Remus's secret was safe.


	20. Nothing Left

**Harry Potter Halloween Collection Prompt:** (word) haunt(ed)

* * *

 **Nothing Left**

Sirius didn't look up when Lily set a steaming cup of tea on the table in front of him. "Take your time," she said. "We're not going to make you talk to us about it, but just know we're here for you. We know you cared a great deal for her."

 _Cared_ wasn't exactly the word Sirius would choose to describe his feelings for Marlene. She'd shown him from the very beginning what love was supposed to be like. Aside from his friends and James's parents, Sirius had never felt loved. His family was certainly incapable of feeling such a pure emotion. He wasn't even sure he knew how to love until she'd walked into his life.

They'd tried to keep things as low-key as possible, neither one wanting the other to be used against them in the war. This hadn't made their love any less real to him. She'd been the one to balance him out, to keep his tendency towards recklessness and impulsivity at bay. They had loved fully and passionately. He thought now of the engagement ring he had hidden away at home that he'd been planning to give Marlene when she came back from visiting her parents. That ring was useless to him now.

The sight of her lifeless body, her beautiful light blue eyes forever gazing upon death, would haunt him forever.

His eyes filling with tears, he looked up at Lily. "I didn't care for her," he said. "I loved her with everything I had. And now I have nothing." As he was overcome with emotion and sobs shook his body, Sirius knew that he would never love anyone like he had loved Marlene McKinnon.


	21. One Year

**Harry Potter Halloween Collection Prompt:** (location) Cemetery/Graveyard (non-specific)

 **Recovery Challenge:** (dialogue) "I love you."; (dialogue) "You don't have to do this by yourself."; (word) tears; (word) kiss

 **Word Count: 678**

* * *

 **One Year**

Halloween used to be a fun time of year for all of them. Sirius has many good memories of Halloweens spent at Hogwarts, the Halloween feasts he shared with his friends. Even after they finished their schooling, they still gathered together on Halloween, enjoying good food and plenty of laughs as always. The fact that Halloween was just three days before his birthday meant that sometimes his birthday was celebrated at the same time, which just makes things even more difficult now.

It is Halloween, one year to the day since James and Lily were murdered. Sirius still blames himself, even though everyone tells him that it's not his fault, he couldn't have known what Peter was. Sirius doesn't care. He still holds himself responsible. He _should_ have known, that's all there is to it.

Sirius kneels down at the grave of his two friends and brushes away the dead leaves that have gathered there. He hears footsteps behind him and knows it's Marlene without having to turn around. He's always somehow been able to sense her presence. There's just something about her that he can tune into the moment she walks into a room. "How did you know I was here?"

Marlene kneels down beside him, her hand covering his own, stopping him from clearing the grave any further. "I know what day it is," she replies simply. "When I saw you weren't at home, I assumed you'd be here." She lays a small bouquet of red and yellow lilies at the base of the tombstone. "I wanted to visit them as well, which is why I came to see you. I was hoping you'd come with me."

Sirius isn't sure how to reply to this. He broke up with Marlene just a few weeks after James and Lily died and hasn't spoken to her since. There was just too much going on inside his head, too many demons for him to fight, that he didn't think he could be what she needed. He still loves her, always has, but he still doesn't feel like he's in a good place to rekindle what they had.

"Marlene, I'm sorry -" he begins awkwardly, but she cuts him off.

"You don't need to say anything, Sirius. We're here to visit them. I had no intention of talking to you about us. I know you'll come back to me when you're ready."  
Sirius fights back tears. This is why he can't stop loving her, even in the middle of his internal struggle. She knows him better than anyone else.

Sirius listens as she talks to their fallen friends, telling them about everything that's happened in the last year, chatting with them as though they're standing right there. Sirius tries to talk to them, he really does, but he just breaks down, unable to speak a word. Marlene gathers him up into her arms, soothing him until his tears are spent.

"It's alright, Sirius, they can hear you even if you can't say the words." She pulls back from him and cups his face with her hands, brushing his tears away with her thumbs. "They don't blame you any more than anyone else does. I know you have to forgive yourself in your own time, but don't be afraid to talk to someone. We're all here for you. You don't have to do this by yourself."

Once again, Sirius doesn't know what to say, and so he just speaks from his heart. "I love you, Marlene. Thank you for understanding that I need my own space for a while."

Marlene leans in and presses a light kiss to his lips. "I love you too, Sirius. I'll never stop waiting for you. Don't forget that." She releases him and stands, holding out a hand to help him up. When he's on his feet again, Sirius pulls her close, enjoying the feel of her in his arms again. He's still not ready to change things between them, but it gives him hope to know that she hasn't given up on him yet.


	22. Charming

**Harry Potter Halloween Collection Prompt:** (color) Pumpkin Orange

 **The Gigantic Harry Potter Collectables Challenge:** First Love Beguiling Bubbles (write about puppy love); Rose Oil (Sirius/Marlene)

 **Word Count: 484**

* * *

 **Charming**

Lily eyed Marlene curiously as her friend sat next to her at the Gryffindor table. It took Marlene a few moments to realize she was being watched as she filled her plate with eggs and toast. "What?" she asked, turning to Lily.

" _Why_ is there a bow in your hair?" Lily asked.

Marlene patted the pumpkin orange bow in her light brown hair, blushing as she did so. "Oh, well, I just decided to do something a little different today. I thought it would be fun to experiment." Her gaze drifted down the table to where Sirius, James, Remus, and Peter sat, eating their breakfast and laughing.

Lily rolled her eyes. "Merlin, it's for him, isn't it?"

Marlene bit her lip, her face turning a darker shade of red than it already was. "I overheard him complimenting Gwendolyn Abbott the other day for her beautiful hair bow. I decided to see how well it would work for me."

"You do realize he was only saying that to get her to snog him?" Lily asked. "Really, I don't understand why you like him so much."

"He's just so...mmmmm." Marlene's sentence trailed off into a longing sigh as she gazed hungrily at the boy in question.

"I really hope you just couldn't think of a word and that you're not trying to tell me you think he's delicious. Because that would be gross."

Lily tried to eat her breakfast, but found that Marlene's dreamy looks and longing sighs made her nauseous. By the time she finally pushed her half-finished breakfast away, the four boys were making their way out of the Great Hall. Lily realized that they would have to walk past herself and Marlene and silently hoped that Marlene wouldn't do anything stupid. Like try to get his attention.

Lily closed her eyes and suppressed a sigh when Sirius stopped just a few seconds after he passed them. "Marlene, did you do something different with your hair? It looks great."

"Thank you," Marlene replied. "I put a bow in it today. Do you like it?"

Lily opened her eyes, hoping she wouldn't see her friend acting like a fool. Unfortunately, that was exactly what Marlene was doing. Sirius was fingering the bow while Marlene just grinned, looking as though it were Christmas morning and she'd just received the gift she'd been asking for all year.

"I love it," Sirius said. He leaned down and whispered something in her ear, his hand trailing down through her hair and resting on her arm. Marlene's face brightened and she giggled behind her hand, nodding. Sirius raced to catch up with his friends, turning to wink at Marlene before he left the Great Hall.

"He asked me to meet him after classes this afternoon!" Marlene said excitedly. "It worked, Lily!"

Lily put her head in her hands, cursing the day that Sirius Black charmed his way into Marlene's heart.


	23. Shared Comfort

**Harry Potter Halloween Collection Prompt:** (word) gruesome

 **Warning:** Implied rape and mentions of torture

* * *

 **Shared Comfort**

Marlene awoke from the nightmare, gasping for air and shaking. It was as if her body was physically reliving those horrific months spent in captivity. The gruesome things that had been done to her still haunted her even after fourteen years, especially now that she had been pulled back into her old life.

While the wizarding world had believed that she had been murdered with her family, Marlene had endured months of torture – and worse – at the hands of Antonin Dolohov, who had helped murder her parents and sisters. She could only assume he got some kind of sick pleasure from causing her pain and that was why he had left her barely alive in the initial attack. There had been many times during her captivity that she had wished for death. Death would have been better than having to endure one more minute of what he did to her every day.

Her escape had come at the downfall of Dolohov's master. The death of You-Know-Who had made Dolohov careless and distracted as he feared for his own life and freedom. He hadn't been as watchful of her as before, which had allowed her to finally break free. She'd started her life over as a Muggle, vowing to never set foot in the wizarding world again. Magic had ruined her life and she would never again be a part of such things.

Feeling restless, Marlene threw back the sheets and got out of bed. She started pacing the room, but this only made her feel trapped. Deciding that a cup of tea might do her good, she left the room quietly, being careful not to disturb the rest of the inhabitants of Grimmauld Place. She had just reached the top of the stairs when she heard a sound, like someone was talking. Pausing, she listened for it again. She couldn't make out what the person was saying, but they were clearly in some kind of distress.

Backtracking, Marlene walked down the hall, pausing two doors down from her own room. If she remembered correctly, this was Sirius's room. Not bothering to knock, she opened the door to find Sirius in bed, tangled and writhing in the sheets. He appeared to be asleep, but he was calling out for James and Lily, apologizing to them over and over again. Marlene watched, unsure what to do, as Sirius lay trapped in the grip of his nightmare.

Finally, her body moved of its own accord. She knelt at his bedside and took his hand. He held onto her tightly. Ignoring the pain his grip caused her, Marlene tried to comfort him. "Sirius, wake up," she said quietly, gently. "It's okay. Just wake up."

Sirius's eyes flew open and he stared up at the ceiling, confused. His breath came in sharp gasps and Marlene could feel the throbbing of his heart through the palm of his hand. He lay like this for several minutes, his breathing gradually returning to normal and his grip on her hand loosening. He turned his head to look at her. "Marlene." He still seemed a bit confused by his sudden return to reality. "What are you doing here?"

"I was on my way down to the kitchen for some tea when I heard you," she said, blushing and letting go of his hand. She suddenly felt embarrassed, as though she had intruded on something extremely private. "I thought maybe – maybe I could help."

"You did help," he said. "I heard your voice in my nightmare and it brought me back here. Thank you." He propped himself up on one elbow and readjusted the sheets so they weren't a tangled mess anymore. "Why were you going to make tea this late at night?"

"I – well, I had a nightmare, too." She knew she probably didn't need to say anymore than that. Sirius had been the one to find her again, just one month ago. He had been out rounding up the members of the Order, which had been reforming to combat the threat posed by You-Know-Who's return. They had met by chance, Sirius spotting her while in his Animagus form. She'd been surprised when he'd turned up on her doorstep. She had seen his picture all over the Muggle news and papers just two years prior, a painful reminder of everything that she had lost. She and Sirius had been close during their teenage years, even dating for a while once they'd graduated from Hogwarts. A long conversation had followed his appearance, as they both had rather involved stories to tell. It had taken a lot of convincing on Sirius's part, but Marlene had agreed to return and help fight, if only to get some kind of justice for her parents and sisters.

"Oh." He looked uncomfortable. "I'm sorry. Do you – does that happen often? Your nightmares, I mean."

Marlene shook her head. "At first, yes, but as time went on, they only came once or twice a year. Being back here, in this world – " Marlene bit her lip. "It's almost a nightly thing now. I've only been here for a couple of weeks, but it started my first night here."

"I'm sorry," he said. "I brought you back here. Maybe it would have been better to leave you be."

"No," Marlene said, shaking her head again. "I came here freely. I needed to stop hiding from it. Hiding wasn't going to do me any good. Anyway," she said, changing the subject, "I should let you get back to sleep." She rose to leave, but felt his hand gently close around her wrist as she turned away.

"Please, don't go," Sirius said, voice just barely above a whisper. "I don't want to be alone. I'm tired of having to deal with these nightmares alone. No one else really understands. My guilt over what happened to James and Lily, all those years in Azkaban – there's no one who understands better than you what it's like to be a prisoner, to relive that experience in your nightmares." He pulled her down to sit on the edge of the bed next to him. "Please."

Marlene swallowed uncomfortably, her pulse quickening. "Sirius, I don't – I can't – "

"I'm not asking anything more of you than to just lay here with me. I just need to know I'm not alone. We don't even have to be close. I just – I need this." He looked at her pleadingly. She had never seen him so vulnerable before.

Marlene's first instinct was to tell him no. She had never been able to even think about sharing a bed with another man ever since her captivity. Even something as innocent as what Sirius was asking seemed frightening to her. She didn't think she could bring herself to do it. But the way he was looking at her reminded her of herself. There were times that she'd awoken from those nightmares and had wanted nothing more than the company of another human being. Could she really deny him this one thing that might bring him more comfort than he'd received in the last fourteen years?

"I'll do it," she finally conceded. "But just – leave some space between us."

Sirius moved over to the opposite edge of the bed. "I'll stay over here and you can have that side. Is that fine?"

Marlene nodded. The bed was big enough to hold two people with a fair amount of space left over. She sighed as she settled in beneath the sheets. Her heart was still racing. Sirius reached out in the space between them and she took his hand. "Are you alright?"

"I think so," she said. "Goodnight, Sirius."

His smile was the last thing she saw before she closed her eyes. "Goodnight, Marlene. And thank you."

 _This isn't so bad,_ Marlene thought as she drifted off to sleep, Sirius's hand still warm in hers. _I might be able to get used to this._


	24. Honest Opinion

**Harry Potter Halloween Collection Prompt:** (creature/being) zombie

* * *

 **Honest Opinion**

"How do you think I'd fare if a zombie apocalypse started at Hogwarts?"

Marlene pushed a few strands of hair out of her face and continued writing. "Shouldn't you be writing about zombies instead of bugging me about them?" She wondered for what felt like the millionth time why she'd agreed to help Sirius with his essay. She had her own to do, after all, and they were writing about two totally different creatures. They'd all been assigned a different dark creature or being to write about in Defense Against the Dark Arts. She'd been given dementors and Sirius had been given zombies. While she did occasionally help him with some of their assignments, she was beginning to wonder why she didn't just tell him to do his own homework for a change and leave her in peace.

"But isn't it interesting to think about?" Sirius continued as though she hadn't spoken. "We're all stuck in here together. It wouldn't take much for something like that to spread. I'd like to see just how many of the Slytherins would become zombie food. Not many brains there, though, so maybe they'd be alright."

Marlene suppressed a frustrated sigh as she gently set her quill on top of her parchment and looked up at him. He'd got started on this train of thought and she knew there was no stopping him until she played along for a while. "I don't think that's quite fair, Sirius. The Slytherins aren't stupid. They're known for being cunning, which requires at least a certain amount of intelligence. Besides, zombies don't just eat brains."

Sirius looked thoughtfully at her. "Fine, I'll let you have that one. But back to the original question – do you think I'd survive a zombie apocalypse?"

Marlene shook her head. "No. You'd do something reckless and get yourself killed and probably end up getting someone else killed in the process."

"Now wait a minute," Sirius huffed, "when have I ever done something reckless?"

Marlene raised an eyebrow. "Do you really want me to answer that?"

"I've never – " Sirius stopped mid-sentence. "But there was that time – " He tapped his chin with a finger, looking thoughtful again. "But I – " Whatever events he was remembering, Sirius finally seemed to discover he had been defeated. He wordlessly picked up his quill and went back to work his essay.

"That's what I thought," Marlene said, smirking and returning to her own work. She felt accomplished. For once in her short acquaintance with him, she'd finally left Sirius Black speechless.


	25. Persuasive

**Harry Potter Halloween Collection Prompt:** (object) cloak/cape

* * *

 **Persuasive**

"Where were you last night?" Lily's question greeted Marlene as Lily opened the door to her. Marlene had known that Lily would be upset that she'd missed their planned night out together.

"Good morning to you, too," Marlene said as she brushed past Lily into the house. "I'm sorry, I – got distracted last night. I'll make it up to you, I swear."

"What could possibly have distracted you so much that you forgot about your best friend?" Lily had her arms crossed over her chest and one eyebrow raised.

Marlene was spared having to answer when James walked into the room. "Hey, Marlene," he greeted her. "Good thing you're here. I've just received word that there's a meeting at headquarters in half an hour."

"Well then, we'd best get going," Lily said. "And you're still not off the hook," she said to Marlene.

A few minutes later they had safely arrived at headquarters. A few other members of the Order had already arrived, but there were still several that were missing. Marlene breathed a sigh of relief when she noticed that Sirius was among the latter. She hoped that he would arrive at the last minute so there would be no awkward encounter between them or questions from Lily.

"Alright, start talking." Lily was apparently unwilling to let the subject from earlier drop, especially since they had some time to spare before the meeting began and James had wandered off to find his friends. "What happened last night?"

Marlene was just trying to think up some grand excuse when she heard Sirius's voice behind her. "Morning, Lily," he said cheerily. "And good morning to you, Marlene." He came up beside her and draped an arm over her shoulders.

Marlene blushed furiously. "G-good morning, Sirius," she managed to say. Lily was looking from Sirius to Marlene, utterly confused.

"You left this behind this morning, by the way," Sirius said. He held out a cloak, and to Marlene's horror, she realized it was her own. It was neatly folded in his hand. She quickly took it from him. "The meeting should be starting soon. I'll see you around, Marlene." He winked at her, planted a kiss on her cheek, and walked away.

"You – wha – " Lily seemed unable to form a complete sentence. "You – and Sirius – last night?"

Marlene was so embarrassed that she wanted to disappear. She had sworn to Lily for years that she would never succumb to the deadly charms of Sirius Black. "I – he – he caught me in a weak moment, okay?" she stuttered defensively. "He can be – quite persuasive."

As the meeting began, Marlene wasn't sure which was worse: Sirius glancing over at her and winking every so often, or Lily staring at her in amazement. She was certainly not going to live this one down for a long time.


	26. An Act of Kindness

**Harry Potter Halloween Collection Prompt:** (plot theme) Attending a Halloween themed party

* * *

 **An Act of Kindness**

Sirius slowly opened his eyes to the dim light of the dying fire, unsure what had awoken him. He'd been sleeping quite well finally, the fever exhausting him enough to make him fall asleep. He'd been fighting this illness all day long, but refused to go to Madam Pomfrey. "I don't want to spend my Halloween in the Hospital Wing," he'd argued with Remus that afternoon. "You know how she is, you go in there for a little scratch and she keeps you for a week. Woman's crazy if you ask me."

It hadn't mattered one bit. He'd so badly wanted to join his friends at the Halloween feast, but he'd just been too weak and tired. He'd barely even made it through his classes. He'd never been so sick in all of his sixteen years. Even though Remus insisted that he go to the Hospital Wing if he wasn't going to make it to the feast, Sirius had no intention of doing so. He was sure that with plenty of rest, he'd be able to get rid of this. It was Friday anyway, so he had all weekend to sleep it off.

A knock came at the door. _So that was what woke me up,_ he thought. He wasn't sure who would be here right now when there was a feast to enjoy downstairs. Maybe one of the others was coming to check on him. But why would they be knocking on the door to their own dormitory? "Come in," he said weakly, sitting up.

To his surprise, Marlene walked through the door, carrying a tray, her school bag bulging at her side. "I'm sorry to intrude, you were probably sleeping." She stopped by his bed, gripping the tray with both hands. Sirius saw a couple of bowls on it as well as two goblets, which he hoped contained pumpkin juice. "I overheard James and Remus talking about how sick you were and I thought maybe this would help." Sirius moved his legs out of the way as she set the tray down in the middle of the bed. The bowls contained some kind of soup and the goblets, to his delight, were filled to the brim with pumpkin juice.

Sirius watched, speechless, as Marlene sat down on the end of the bed, legs crossed in front of her. She flicked the curtains of his four-poster closed with a wave of her wand, plunging them into near darkness. From her bag, she extracted a jack-o-lantern and three candles. The jack-o-lantern she placed next to the tray, its carved face turned inward to face them. She placed one of the candles inside it and lit the wick with her wand. The other two candles she sent floating above their heads, making sure they were a safe distance from anything flammable before lighting them as well. The dim lighting, enclosed space, and eerie face of the jack-o-lantern made the whole space seem just spooky enough for Halloween.

"I thought maybe I'd bring the Halloween feast to you since you couldn't be there," she explained once she'd set everything up. "I thought maybe you wouldn't have the appetite for everything we normally eat, so I told the house-elves in the kitchen my mother's chicken noodle soup recipe."

"Chicken noodle soup?" Sirius had never heard of such a thing, but the smells wafting up from the bowls between them were heavenly.

"My mum always makes it when I'm sick," Marlene said fondly. "It always makes me feel better, if not physically, then emotionally. It's comfort food at its finest." She handed him a spoon. "Give a try before it gets cold."

Sirius dipped the spoon into the liquid, stirring it around a moment before scooping up a spoonful of noodles, tiny diced vegetables, pieces of chicken, and broth. He brought it carefully to his mouth, testing it to make sure it wouldn't burn his tongue before putting the spoon in his mouth. "This is good," he said after he'd swallowed the first bite. "I can see why you like it so much."

Marlene smiled and picked up her spoon. "I'm glad you like it. I thought you would." They ate in silence, Sirius occasionally feeling Marlene's eyes on him. He wasn't sure why she was being so nice to him. Not that she was mean to him normally, quite the opposite. She was always polite to him when they passed each other in the corridors between classes, or when they saw each other in the common room, and even on the rare occasion they'd been partnered up in classes. But it never went beyond that.

"I don't want to sound ungrateful," he said as he put his spoon back down on the tray, his bowl now empty, "but why are you doing this?" He picked up the goblet and sipped the pumpkin juice, the cool liquid soothing to his sore throat.

Marlene shrugged. "Just being nice, I suppose. I know how much I look forward to the Halloween feasts every year and I'd hate to miss one just because I was sick. I thought it might be fun to bring some happiness to someone who needed a bit of cheering up."

"There's no other reason? You don't want anything from me?" Sirius had always found it difficult to trust others. In his family, you only did something for someone else if you wanted something in return. No one was ever simply kind for the sake of being kind. It had taken him a while to even trust his own friends.

Marlene shook her head, puzzled. "No. Why would you think that?"

Despite his suspicions, Sirius could tell she was sincere. "Never mind," he said. "It's nothing." He sipped his pumpkin juice again and shivered. He had been going between overheating and freezing all day long.

"You should lie down," Marlene said, opening the curtains and gathering up the candles, pumpkin, and tray. She took his goblet and set it on the bedside table before helping him lay down. "Would you like another blanket?" she asked as she adjusted his blanket around him.

He shook his head. "This is fine. I'll be too warm in a few minutes anyway." As his eyes slipped closed, an idea came to him. "Marlene," he said, his eyes shooting open. She had knelt down to put everything back in her bag, but looked up at the sound of his voice. "I know you didn't want anything in return for this, but – would you like to go with me on our next Hogsmeade visit? Just the two of us?" It was the only way he could think to repay her.

Marlene seemed shocked at first, but a grin slowly broke out over her face. "Of course," she said. "I'd like that very much." She finished gathering up her things and stood, coming to the side of his bed again. "Sleep well, Sirius. I hope you feel better in the morning." She leaned down and placed a gentle kiss on his cheek. Her own cheeks were tinged pink when she straightened up again.

"Thank you," he said as she turned to leave. "For everything." His skin tingled where her soft lips had touched it. He fell asleep with a smile on his face.


	27. Worse Ways to Die

**Harry Potter Halloween Collection Prompt:** (creature/being): vampire

* * *

 **Worse Ways to Die**

Sirius stared at the woman across from him, mesmerized. She was the most beautiful woman he'd ever seen. Her light brown hair gleamed even in the dim light of the pub. Her lips were stained a deep crimson red. Her pale skin was flawless and smooth. A very short and very tight black dress showed off a slim figure. She had reached across the table and was trailing a blood red nail up and down his arm, her dark eyes roving over every inch of him. He'd heard several horror stories of people meeting someone they'd found on a dating website, but he was sure his story would be anything but horrible.

"Why don't we go somewhere more private?" she purred seductively. "I'd like to get to know you more intimately. Would you like that?"

Sirius nodded, his entire body longing for her. The drive to his house was agonizing with her in the seat next to him, her hand caressing his leg the whole time, her seductive gaze locked on him. His front door had barely closed behind them when she pushed him up against the wall with inhuman strength. He had no time to ponder this however as, in the next second, her lips came crashing down on his. He moaned in pleasure at the taste of her and the feel of her body pressed against his. His hands traced the curve of her hips before coming up to cup her breasts.

She started to unbutton his shirt and he reached for the zipper on the back of her dress. She quickly stopped him. "Not yet," she whispered. "Be patient." She licked her lips seductively. "It's my turn first."

Before Sirius could ask what she meant, she had pushed back the collar of his shirt and lowered her mouth to his neck, a searing hot pain shooting through him. He cried out, his whole body feeling as though it were on fire. He struggled against her at first, but slowly relaxed, an odd kind of sleepiness coming over him.

As the woman named Marlene drank greedily from him, Sirius realized that he had landed in the clutches of a vampire. A very attractive vampire. _There are worse ways to die than in the arms of a beautiful woman,_ he thought as his vision faded to black.


	28. Letting Go

**Harry Potter Halloween Collection Prompt:** (word) Mysterious

* * *

 **Letting Go**

" _Take this, Hagrid." Sirius motioned to his beloved motorbike. "You'll get Harry to his aunt and uncle's quicker this way. I won't need it anymore."_

* * *

"I'd say it's time," said James, turning to Marlene. "Don't you think so?"

Marlene nodded. "I think we've been keeping him guessing long enough."

"Too long," grumbled Sirius. "You've all been acting mysterious for the last week. I know it's my birthday, but really, I don't like being held in suspense for so long!"

"Trust me, Sirius," said Lily, smiling, "this was worth the wait."

"We have to go outside," said Marlene as they stood from their seats, the remains of Sirius's birthday cake still in the center of the table. "Close your eyes, Sirius. No peeking!"

Sirius obeyed. He felt Marlene's hand on his shoulder, guiding him to the front door, James and Lily following behind. A cool breeze greeted him as Marlene opened the door. "Okay, stop here," said Marlene once they had taken a few steps outside. "James, uncover it."

Sirius heard a rustling sound, which only piqued his curiosity. "Can I open my eyes yet?" he asked impatiently.

A few seconds of silence followed his question before Marlene answered. "Alright, go ahead."

Sirius opened his eyes and gasped.

* * *

 _Sirius watched with a twinge of pain as Hagrid flew away on the bike, baby Harry tucked safely against the giant man's chest. The last of Sirius's connections to his friends – his godson and his motorbike – were disappearing into the night. Standing among the ruins of the Potters' home, Sirius keenly felt the pain of losing them all. Their faces flashed through his mind quickly. Marlene, the first woman who had seen through his arrogance and loved him despite all of his flaws. James, his first and truest friend. Lily, who had come to love him as much as James did. How could he ever forget how happy they'd all made him?_

* * *

Sirius was speechless as he took in the sight of the motorbike before him. He'd had his eye on this one for quite some time, but had been reluctant to just buy the first one that caught his eye. James had even told him to wait and now Sirius knew why.

"You – this – you bought – "

Marlene laughed. "Yes, we bought this for you."

"I knew how badly you wanted it," said James. "Even though you were still looking around, I knew you'd eventually come back to this one." He grinned at Sirius, who had approached the bike, his hand hovering over it as he stared at it open-mouthed. "You can actually touch it, you know. It's not going to disappear."

* * *

 _He might not need the motorbike anymore, especially if he accomplished what he had planned, but that didn't mean he wouldn't miss it. It had been the best birthday gift he'd ever received, simply because it came from them._

* * *

Sirius ran his hand over the handlebars, down the body, and over the seat. The feel of cold metal and soft leather was wonderful against his skin. "I – " Sirius swallowed down the lump in his throat. Why was he getting so emotional over a motorbike? "I don't know what to say." He turned to find them all smiling at him.

"The promise of unlimited free rides on it wouldn't hurt," said Marlene.

"Just let me help you – ah – 'modify' it a bit and I'll be happy," said James, grinning mischievously.

"I suppose 'thank you' would suffice," teased Lily.

"Thank you," said Sirius, smiling back at them. "I'll never forget this."

* * *

" _Thank you," Sirius whispered into the darkness. "I'll never forget any of you."_


	29. Snuffles

**Harry Potter Halloween Collection Prompt:** (color) Black

* * *

 **Snuffles**

For weeks, Marlene had been coaxing the large black dog closer and closer to her. She'd been leaving raw chicken out for him to eat every morning as he had turned his nose up at the first bowl of dry dog food she'd left for him. The poor thing had been wandering around her neighborhood all summer and with winter fast approaching, she hated to see him left outside to freeze. He seemed to be afraid of people, running whenever someone even looked at him. She had been slowly building up his trust. Today was the day that she would put that trust to the test.

She saw him appear at the end of the drive, ears perked up as she set the chicken out. Instead of going back inside, Marlene sat in the open doorway and waited. The dog tilted his head, seeming rather confused. He watched her for several minutes before approaching cautiously. She could hear him snuffling, his nose pressed to the ground. He slowed even further when he got closer to her, his grey eyes locked on her. Marlene was barely breathing. She couldn't believe her plan was actually working.

Gaze still fixed on her, the dog lay down at her feet and began eating. Once he had finished, Marlene slowly raised a hand, stopping when he flinched.

"It's okay," she said quietly. "I won't hurt you." When the dog didn't move, Marlene moved her hand up to his nose, turning her palm up for him to sniff. His nose was wet and his breath tickled her skin. She bit back a laugh as he started to lick her hand. She could see his tail wagging, sweeping away the few leaves on the front step. She slowly moved her hand up to gently stroke his head and he leaned into her touch. She felt a sense of happiness fill her. She had never worked at something so hard in her life as she had at gaining this dog's trust, and it had paid off.

"What should I call you?" she asked him. His ears perked up. "What about Snuffles? You certainly do a lot of sniffing." A small woof escaped him and he started panting, his tongue lolling comically from his mouth. "I'll take that as your approval. Snuffles it is."

With another bark of approval, Snuffles followed Marlene into the house.


	30. Anger Issues

**Harry Potter Halloween Collection Prompt:** (feeling) Aggression

* * *

 **Anger Issues**

Sirius was a rather aggressive boy in his early years at Hogwarts. He had walked into the school burdened by his family's expectations for his future, but being sorted into Gryffindor had probably been worse for him than if he'd just accepted his lot as a Slytherin. He'd received angry letters from his father and Howlers from his mother. Narcissa, the youngest of his three cousins and in her sixth year at Hogwarts, threw him dirty looks every time they crossed paths and encouraged the other Slytherins to start calling him "blood traitor" in place of his proper name.

The last thing Sirius wanted was to be expelled. That would mean having to go back home, to parents who didn't love him and a little brother who was now disappointed in him. He'd already started to make friends as well and didn't want to leave them behind. So instead of acting on the rage boiling up inside him, he kept his mouth shut and his fists clenched at his sides as the Slytherins harassed him mercilessly.

Sirius did a fair job of keeping his anger contained, until the day one of his new friends decided to get involved.

Marlene McKinnon was a pretty girl. Everything about her was neat and tidy, from her clothes to her handwriting and everything in between. She was quiet and reserved, always polite to others, and unwilling to be mean to someone even if they were being mean to her. For some reason, she and Sirius got along quite well, even though Sirius was her total opposite in everything. It seemed to them and everyone else who knew them that they had absolutely nothing in common.

They were walking to class together one day when Sirius heard the familiar shout of, "There he goes, Blood Traitor Black! What a disgrace you are, you filthy traitor!"

Sirius didn't recognize the voice, but he had heard this diatribe all too often. He sighed heavily, trying to keep his rage suppressed as usual. His fists were clenched so tightly that he was sure his nails were drawing blood in his palms. He was concentrating so hard on keeping himself together that it took him a few seconds to realize that Marlene had stopped dead in her tracks. Sirius stopped as well and before he could turn around, she had started speaking.

"What do you know about it?" Marlene was yelling for the first time in their short acquaintance. "Just because he's a Gryffindor doesn't mean he's a traitor! Maybe everyone shouldn't have expected so much of him! Why can't he just be who he is and still be accepted by you?"

Sirius's eyes slipped closed at her words. What in Merlin's name was she thinking? He opened his eyes and turned around. "Marlene, move," he said through gritted teeth. "Just leave it alone."

"No!" Marlene shouted at him. "I won't! I'm tired of hearing them do this to you, Sirius! It just makes me so angry!" The crowded corridor had gone silent as everyone watched the scene unfolding before them.

"Oh, is that so?" Sirius didn't know the name of the Slytherin boy who was now standing in front of Marlene. Sirius thought that maybe he was one of Narcissa's friends. He was flanked by three other boys, all of them much larger than Sirius. "Is this your little girlfriend, Blood Traitor? McKinnon, isn't it? There's Muggle blood in your family if I remember right. Daddy was a Muggleborn, wasn't he?" The boy shoved Marlene, knocking her to the ground. "I should've known you'd choose a filthy half-blood. What a disgusting girl you are, you're practically a mudblood – "

Sirius didn't let him finish the sentence. With a scream of rage, Sirius tackled him. His fists were flying, hitting any part of the boy he could find. He soon found himself overwhelmed by the other three boys kicking and punching him. He could hear Marlene screaming.

"That will be enough!" Professor McGonagall's stern voice broke through the chaos and the boys broke apart. "What is the meaning of this?" She glared them all down. "Twenty points each from Slytherin and detentions! There is no fighting in this school, as you four should be well aware by now!" She pointed at the Slytherins. "I will be discussing this with Professor Slughorn!" The four boys sauntered off, Sirius pleased to see the boy he'd attacked had a cut above his eyebrow and a livid bruise on his cheek.

"And you!" Sirius's stomach lurched. The realization of what he'd just done dawned on him. He had lost control. He had only been thinking of protecting Marlene, but still he had let his aggression take over. "I dislike taking points from my own house, but you leave me with no choice."

"Please, Professor, wait." Marlene was on her feet again, brushing dirt from her robes as she faced McGonagall."He was only helping me. I – I didn't like what they were saying to him and I confronted them. That boy shoved me and Sirius went after him. It's my fault he got into that fight in the first place. Please don't punish him."

Professor McGongall's stern gaze softened. "Is this true, Mr. Black?"

Sirius nodded. He was finding words impossible. For the second time this morning, Marlene was defending him.

"I applaud your chivalry, Mr. Black. Truly the mark of a Gryffindor. Be that as it may, fighting is still forbidden. Ten points from Gryffindor. I won't give you a detention. Consider that your reward for having your heart in the right place. Miss McKinnon, please escort Mr. Black to the Hospital Wing. Everyone else, get to your classes!" Professor McGongall turned on her heel and left, the other students who had crowded around dispersing at her words, leaving Marlene and Sirius unnoticed.

"Are you alright?" Marlene reached out her hand to him and helped him up. Sirius winced at a sharp pain in his side. "You're bleeding." She gingerly touched his lip, her fingertip coming away red. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said anything to him. It just – I was so mad. I couldn't take them bullying you for one more second."

Sirius chuckled. "I guess we both have anger issues." His expression sobered. "Thank you for doing that. It was stupid, but it means more to me than you'll ever know."

Marlene smiled shyly. "Thank you for defending me as well. Now, let's get you up to Madam Pomfrey." She linked her arm with his and they walked off together, their friendship strengthened now that they knew they shared a desire to defend those they cared about.


	31. Love Potion

**Harry Potter Halloween Collection Prompt:** (object) Cauldron

* * *

 **Love Potion**

"You aren't actually going to use that, are you?"

Sirius's voice behind her made Marlene jump. She tucked the small vial into the pocket of her robes before turning around. "Not sure what you mean," said Marlene innocently. She could feel the heat rising in her cheeks.

"That's a bit of the love potion we brewed in class today," said Sirius. "I saw you take a bit out of your cauldron before class ended. Who are you planning on using it on?"

Marlene gripped the handle of her cauldron tightly. She didn't think anyone had noticed that. "You're far too clever, Sirius," said Marlene. "What business is it of yours who I'm using it on?"

"Because I don't think it's right," said Sirius.

Marlene's cheeks were on fire. Could he possibly know...?

"I'm not sure who it is you're mooning after," said Sirius, "but I know you can do better. If you have to use a love potion to make them love you, then it's not love."

"And I suppose you're an expert on love now?" said Marlene defensively. She narrowed her eyes at him.

"I never said that," retorted Sirius. "I'm just saying that you can't make someone love you. They'll be fawning over you, yes, but the moment it wears off, they'll be gone again. Are you going to brew love potion for the rest of your life?"

Marlene bit her lip, thinking. Even though she hated to admit it, Sirius was right. That was a one-sided love, a fake love. "What – what should I do then?" _I can't believe I'm asking him of all people for advice on this.  
_

"Tell them how you feel," said Sirius, shrugging. "Just be yourself and if they like you, maybe they'll give you a chance."

Reaching into her pocket, Marlene grabbed the vial and held it out to Sirius. "Take it," she said, "just so I'm not tempted. And thank you." Once the vial was in his hand, Marlene left, Sirius's words still bouncing around inside her head, he cheeks still flaming red. She didn't have the courage to say it now, but someday she would tell him the truth. Someday, she would tell him that she loved him.


End file.
